West Ham have had a £25m bid for the Nice defender Jean-Clair Todibo turned down.
Julen Lopetegui, West Ham’s new manager, is looking to sign a new centre-back and has targeted the Frenchman after failing to agree a fee with Wolves for Max Kilman.
Gareth Southgate’s team need to improve against Switzerland – and there is plenty of scope for doing so
It is easy to play through England at the moment. Gareth Southgate has talked about a high press being a core part of his team’s identity, but it has not functioned properly at Euro 2024. Harry Kane, who is meant to be leading from the front, has looked lethargic and the issue has been exacerbated by Jude Bellingham’s wandering. Yet there is no obligation on England to continue their attempts to press given they have been so confused and uncoordinated. Southgate has to recognise that there are too many gaps to cover once opponents break through the first line of defence. An obvious solution would be to tell his players to drop off and exert a smothering mid‑block. England need to be more awkward to break down. There should be more emphasis on drawing teams out, luring them into traps and then hitting them on the break.
In the cold light of day, the sense remains Gareth Southgate got away with how he used his bench against Slovakia
Let’s pretend there was a strategy. Let’s pretend Gareth Southgate knew that waiting until the fourth minute of added time to bring on Ivan Toney would result in the randomness of Marc Guéhi’s header from Kyle Walker’s long throw landing in just the right spot for Jude Bellingham to score a bicycle kick. Let’s pretend there was evidence of some grand managerial plan coming together as England muddled their way to a face-saving victory over Slovakia in Gelsenkirchen.
There was plenty of incentive for Southgate to big up his substitutions after an unbalanced, confused team secured a quarter-final with Switzerland. Instead of facing an inquest into England exiting Euro 2024, the manager had room to talk about spirit, togetherness and desire. He could use a little diversion as he talked about giving a presentation to his players about the 1966 World Cup last month, explaining that England would not have won then without the understudies in Alf Ramsey’s squad being ready to contribute when their opportunity arrived. Remember hat-trick hero Geoff Hurst coming into the team only in the quarter-final? Look over there. Is that football coming home?
Captain calls on squad to ease pressure on Southgate
England’s players are united as they prepare for Slovakia
Harry Kane has called on his teammates to raise their level and lift the pressure on Gareth Southgate, while backing Jude Bellingham to silence the critics when England face Slovakia in the last 16 on Sunday night.
It has not gone unnoticed in the dressing room that Southgate, who had plastic beer cups thrown in his direction by supporters after the goalless draw with Slovenia last Tuesday, has taken the flak for England’s underwhelming displays at Euro 2024. The manager has shielded his team from the discontent emanating from the fanbase and Kane believes the players must not shy away from the expectation on their shoulders.
Brighton have £33m offer for winger Minteh accepted
Chelsea discuss including Jackson in a deal for Iask
Liverpool remain interested in signing Anthony Gordon despite talks over a deal for the Newcastle winger breaking down this week.
Newcastle have been the focus of various transfer discussions because of their need to generate money to comply with Premier League profitability and sustainability regulations (PSR) before Sunday’s midnight accounting deadline.
After a fine debut season with Chelsea the winger is unfazed by his late miss on his tournament debut against Slovenia
By the time our 20 minutes with Cole Palmer are up, the England winger has managed to rave about Riyad Mahrez’s first touch, reveal that Austria have been one of his favourite teams at Euro 2024, claim Londoners are way moodier than northerners, talk about getting on for 20 minutes against Slovenia, praise Mauricio Pochettino’s time at Chelsea, elaborate on his relationship with Enzo Maresca and, most importantly of all, correct erroneous reports that he has an obsession with baked beans.
The answers are short, sweet and often pretty illuminating. Palmer does not skip a beat before revealing that his first position was left-back. It was a throwaway comment, but he suddenly looks horrified. He glances at the press officer sitting to his left and wonders if he has put his foot in it. Is Gareth Southgate about to stumble upon the answer to England’s problem position? “I am talking under-10s!” Palmer says. “Under-10s! I have never played left-back since. I was tiny and I just got put left-back. When I was 12 I moved further and further up.”
Foden back training after returning home for child’s birth
Gallagher set to drop out for last-16 tie against Slovakia
Gareth Southgate is giving strong consideration to sticking with his first-choice attack after Phil Foden returned to training on Friday and took part in England’s preparations for their last-16 tie against Slovakia.
Southgate, who has come under heavy criticism for his tactics at Euro 2024, is not expected to do anything drastic against Slovakia on Sunday and is veering towards making only one change, with Kobbie Mainoo set to replace Conor Gallagher in midfield.
Have people forgotten the pre-Southgate tournament record across a long period – including defeat by Iceland?
Time for an excursion. Time for Gareth Southgate and Steve Holland to live a little. The group stage’s done, the draw has opened up, the path to the final in Berlin is kind. Clearly, it’s time for them to step outside England’s secluded Blankenhain base, check in with the local tourist board and find out what the state of Thuringia has to offer.
A trip to the nearby city of Weimar is one option. But the bigger city of Erfurt, home to England’s press pack during Euro 2024, also has its charms. Here we find a medieval tour, quite a bit about the outspoken 16th-century monk Martin Luther and, continuing with the religious vibe, the amazing spectacle of Erfurt’s Old Synagogue, an 11th-century site that somehow avoided destruction by the Nazis.
‘It wasn’t nice. My brother was hit, a few others’
Ezri Konsa has revealed England’s players had to check on family members who were drenched with beer thrown by supporters at the end of the team’s goalless draw with Slovenia.
On a night that ended with plastic beer cups being thrown in the direction of Gareth Southgate, relatives and loved ones of the players also found themselves in the line of fire. Konsa, who said that the atmosphere in that part of the stadium was “not nice” after a draw that secured top spot for England in Group C, said his brother was among those showered with drinks. The defender added that the abuse of Southgate had not been a conversation topic in the dressing room.
Konsa: ‘I think that’ll be the last time we go on the bike’
Newcastle forward left with large graze on chin
England will consider abandoning the bike rides that players do as part of their post-match recovery after an accident left Anthony Gordon with cuts to his chin and hands.
Gordon, who could come into the starting lineup in Sunday’s last-16 tie against Slovakia, was the subject of much mirth from the rest of the squad after suffering a heavy fall the day after England’s draw with Slovenia. The winger mostly emerged with damaged pride, along with a very noticeable graze on his chin, but there is expected to be a review into whether the team continue to use electric bikes that are capable of picking up high speeds.
Blues not certain Chalobah will want City Ground move
Chelsea hope to boost their chances of signing Murillo by including Trevoh Chalobah as part of a bid for the Nottingham Forest defender.
Murillo has emerged as a target for Enzo Maresca, even though Chelsea’s squad already contains six centre-backs, and Forest could face a fight to keep the 21-year-old.
The 20-year-old is England’s future but he is not playing like someone who can help them in the present at Euro 2024
Your best players are still your best players. Your best team is not necessarily the one with all the best players on the pitch. Unfortunately England are in that place again. Much like Sven-Göran Eriksson failing to utilise Michael Carrick at the 2006 World Cup, or Roy Hodgson putting Wayne Rooney in his midfield at Euro 2016, Gareth Southgate has fallen into a familiar trap. His tactics are leaden, his starting XI is unbalanced and one of his biggest mistakes – being seduced into fitting too many similar types into a one-paced attack – has made England by far the hardest team to watch at Euro 2024.
The good news, though, is that there is time to fix England before their last-16 tie in Gelsenkirchen. Nothing drastic needs to be done. A few tweaks could easily help England to build on their slight improvement in the second half of their draw with Slovenia. The question is whether Southgate is bold enough to make them.
Foden started all three of team’s Euro 2024 group games
Unclear if 24-year-old will be back for Sunday’s last-16 tie
England have been left with a selection dilemma before their last-16 tie at Euro 2024 after Phil Foden left the team’s base to attend the birth of his third child. Foden has started England’s three matches in Germany and it is unclear if the 24-year-old Manchester City player will be back with the squad in time for the last-16 tie in Gelsenkirchen on Sunday. England are hopeful he will be.
Gareth Southgate was already under pressure to change his attack after his forwards once again failed to click in the disappointing goalless draw with Slovenia on Tuesday. England, who progressed as winners from Group C, have scored two goals in three games.
Login
